News

Riverside County supervisors today approved an agreement with the Ramona Band of Cahuilla Indians securing guarantees about what steps the tribe will take to counteract the impact of future gambling operations. The Ramona band, whose tribal territory is centered east of Hemet, is negotiating with the state on a compact to permit Class III gaming

President Barack Obama will launch an administration-wide effort today to create new policies aimed at preventing another mass school shooting. Obama is tasking Vice President Joe Biden with spearheading the process, which is a response to Friday’s deadly attack at a Connecticut elementary school. The president will announce the effort from the White House. White

Palm Springs International Airport will open its annual holiday economy parking lot Thursday morning. The extra parking and terminal shuttle service will help the airport handle the Christmas holiday travel rush. The economy service now charges $10 a day for overnight travelers. The same service cost $6 a day last year. Shuttle transportation is available

Today’s meeting of the Palm Springs City Council will include a public hearing on approval of the Downtown Revitalization Plan. In November 2011, a sales tax increase called Measure J was approved by voters to fund public infrastructure improvements and bankroll a $43 million investment in a downtown shopping center. The measure raised the city’s

The Griffith Park Bird Sanctuary, destroyed in a 2007 fire, will reopen today. The Department of Recreation and Parks has completed a series of repairsto the sanctuary, including catch basin restoration, fence repair, trailgrading and the removal of a large number of downed trees, according to Scott Levin-Gesundheit, communications deputy for Councilman Tom LaBonge. The

After 28 people lost their lives in the Newtown shooting at the hands of one man’s guns, gun control is on the hot seat. The National Rifle Association released its first statement post shooting, surprising many with its poignant words: “The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens

It’s a week before Christmas, and if you don’t have your tree yet, you might be out of luck. Whether you stop by a local Christmas tree lot or one of the valley’s home improvement centers, you’ll notice, there aren’t many trees left. Joe Whitney and his family have been selling Christmas trees in the

Palm Springs police arrested a non student Tuesday morning who allegedly posted a threatening message against Palm Springs High School on Facebook. Police say the message was a hoax meant to be a joke. A spokeswoman with the Palm Springs Unified School District said the school was not on lock down and there was no

Cathedral City High School students spent Wednesday delivering food and toys to needy families throughout Cathedral City. The students collected toys, water, meals, and canned goods for nearly a month — filling dozens of Home Depot boxes to the brim. Home Depot, in partnership with CCHS, donated boxes to fill, and drivers to take students

La polica de Palm Springs arrest a un hombre que presuntamente realiz amenazas a Palm Springs High School por medio de mensajes en Facebook. Un vocero del Desert Sands Unified School District confirm que el plantel no fue cerrado como medida de seguridad ya que la amenza no representaba peligro inminente, tambin confirm que David

Investigators say a California mother left her two young daughters behind at a Macy’s department store when employees caught the woman shoplifting. The 28-year-old woman ran from the store and was found hiding in a car in the Visalia Mall parking lot. Her name hasn’t been released. Visalia police say the woman was in Macy’s

Four bald eagles have been spotted near Southern California lakes in the season’s first bird count. Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in 2007. Experts say pesticide restrictions, habitat protections and the release of captive-bred chicks have led to the eagle’s recovery. During Saturday’s one-hour count, volunteers reported two adult bald eagles

Waterford is rolling out an updated crystal ball for New Year’s Eve. The ball that will drop in New York’s Times Square has 288 new crystal panels. Doves are chiseled into them as part of the theme “Let There Be Peace.” The Irish crystal company says organizers are doing something special this year. You’re invited

Making Riverside County more attractive to film and television production companies will be on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda Tuesday. Supervisors John Benoit and Jeff Stone are jointly introducing a proposal to form a committee tasked with identifying monetary and other incentives that might bring more Tinseltown action to the inland region. “Film and television

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory effective from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. for mountain areas above 6,000 feet, where up to eight inches of snow is expected. A winter weather advisory means that periods of snow will cause travel difficulties, including slippery roads and limited visibility, forecasters said. Along with snow,

An effort to reduce La Quinta’s $1.8 million budget deficit could cost nearly two dozen people their jobs. City Manager Frank Spevacek confirmed 22 of the city’s 87 employees were informed they could be laid off as part of a cost-cutting measure. Spevacek said the cuts would be to positions across the board, except for

“I do think it impacts every single one of us,” said Janet Galippo, of Palm Desert. Galippo says it’s painful to be more than 2,000 miles away, just watching and waiting for details to unfold from the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. “I just thought, I can’t not do anything,” she said.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says deputies arrested one of two suspects who tried to rob a Palm Desert bank Monday morning. According to Riverside County Sheriff Department Spokesman Angel Ramos, the two men entered a Bank of America bank branch near Monterey and Dinah Shore Drive just after 9:00 a.m. The branch is located

A motorist was injured today when her car went off theroad and plunged down a 100-foot embankment near Idyllwild. The accident happened about 8:45 a.m. on state Route 243, near StonewoodCanyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. The unidentified driver was southbound on 243 when she apparently lostcontrol of the car, which veered off

Dos hombres intentaron asaltar la sucursal de Bank of America que se ubica sobre Monterey Ave en Palm Desert. Angel Ramos, vocero del Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de Riverside dijo que minutos despus de las 9:00 a.m., dos hombres cargando maletines le entregaron una nota al cajero demandando dinero a lo cual se neg.